Giving Back

It's no secret that there's a shortage of healthcare
professionals in the United States, particularly in rural
areas. It's also common knowledge that student loan debt
can be daunting for graduates who trained for healthcare
careers, especially for those with advanced degrees. But
there is a solution that can help ease both problems—loan
repayment assistance.

"The SLRP is an amazing program for the state to offer,"
said Tara Brandner, FNP-C, a family nurse practitioner at
the Ashley Medical
Center in Ashley, North Dakota — her hometown. "It
truly is one of the main attractions rural facilities
have to attract quality applicants."

Tara Brandner, FNP-C

Brandner earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from the
University of Mary in Bismarck. She went on to earn a
family nurse practitioner master's degree and a doctorate
in nursing practice both from George Washington
University in Washington, D.C.

"I felt inclined to serve a healthcare area in need,"
Brandner said.

Brandner was accepted into the SLRP three years ago. The
goal of repayment programs such as the SLRP is to help
place healthcare professionals in public and nonprofit
sites in areas where the need is greatest. Those eligible
for SLRP assistance include physicians, registered
nurses, registered pharmacists, dentists, nurse
practitioners, physician assistants, psychiatric nurse
specialists, certified nurse midwives, and those with
expertise in mental and behavioral health, such as social
workers, psychologists, licensed professional counselors,
and addiction counselors.

"The loan repayment program means more financial freedom
for my family," Brandner said. "I dedicated nine years of
my life to continuing education and along with that comes
a good amount of student loans. I had obtained three
degrees, and loan repayment was very attractive. I
started to research what options were available to help
our family with the loans I had accumulated. I contacted
the Center for
Rural Health, and they directed me to the SLRP
program."

Administered by the North
Dakota Department of Health, the SLRP program offers
up to $50,000 per year in loan repayment assistance for a
two-year commitment. The HCPS program offers physicians,
for example, as much as $20,000 per year for up to five
years.

"Originally I was only accepted for the two-year
program," Brandner continued. "The state's funding
additional years for the [retention] portion of the
program was a huge surprise and benefit. I am currently
in my third year of the program and was recently accepted
for my fourth."

Amy Holtan Ellingson earned a bachelor's degree in
psychology from the University of North Dakota and a
doctor of dental surgery degree from the University of
Minnesota. A native of Grand Forks, she heard about the
loan repayment program from a colleague.

The loan program is a great tool to attract dentists to
work in rural locations.

"The doctor that I work with now received the loan
repayment and talked about how helpful it was for him to
lower his debt load," Holtan Ellingson said. "The loan
program is a great tool to attract dentists to work in
rural locations."

Amy Holtan Ellingson, DDS

Holtan Ellingson (right) works at James River
Dentistry in New Rockford, and also serves as a
contract dentist at the Spirit Lake Health
Center in Fort Totten. Both Holtan Ellingson and
Brandner said working in a rural area comes with many
benefits.

"Patients in a rural community are very gracious and
thankful for the services provided to them. It is
enjoyable to see them outside of the clinic and hear how
well they are doing or how I may have helped them or
their family," Brandner said. "Rural communities are very
close, and I have found that rewarding to be part of."

She added that rural living is a benefit for her family
as well. She and her husband, Chuck, who teaches in
Wishek, are expecting their first child in January.

"Raising a family in a rural community was something that
was important to us," Tara Brandner said. "We also were
looking for a community where we would be welcomed and
able to be active within the community. Living in a rural
community allows for active participation on many levels,
such as community events, organizations, clubs, and
fundraisers. This does, of course, occur in larger
communities, but the bond and camaraderie is different
and more tight-knit [in rural communities]."

Holtan Ellingson said the loan repayment program made a
big difference in her life as well.

The loan repayment program has been great and a huge help
in offsetting my student loans.

"The loan repayment program has been great and a huge
help in offsetting my student loans," she said. "It's a
great program. I would highly recommend it. For me,
having ties to a rural location made it easy to make the
choice to accept the loan repayment program and work
here. For those who are unfamiliar with rural North
Dakota, it could be a challenge, but I think they may
find that they really like working in a small community.
People in the community are so happy to have a young
dentist come and contribute, as well as provide a
valuable service."

Even though she's done with the program, Holtan Ellingson
still plans to continue working in New Rockford.

Brandner is happy with her choice too.

Working in rural healthcare is one of the most rewarding
careers I have ever held.

"Working in rural healthcare is one of the most rewarding
careers I have ever held," she said. "Getting to know
your patients in this setting is like no other job. You
are not just building trust and a relationship with your
patients but instead your entire community."